Celestial envoy zero
by Leonas
Summary: A drop of faith can go a long way. A little prayer can make a big difference. When a young girl entrusts her fate to the divine a long forgotten goddess will awaken to show her a new destiny. One that no one saw coming.
1. Rising sun

Seconds. Minutes. Hours. Days. Weeks. Months. Years. Decades. Centuries. No matter the measurement, time passes.

People. Things. Events. No matter how dear, everything becomes but a memory as time passes. Even if these memories are enshrined with in story or pictures, all things fade as time marches on. As is their fate.

As was the fate of Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun and savior of Nippon.

Not from any fault of her own or those that she had helped. Issun alone had spread her name and deeds far and wide till his time ran out. The citizens she had saved, and the lives she had personally touched had helped keep her power alive, and spoke highly of her.

However how long until the next generation is too far away from the events before they feel nothing for them? How many times can a story be told before its just a myth? How many years before a piece of art depicting an event is just a beautiful masterpiece? Over time even the truth fades into nonexistence.

And so the great goddess slept. Too powerful to truly fade away, but too weak to act upon the world. Not forgotten, but not worshipped. Sustained by the memories and half hearted tellings of her tale.

"My servant that exists somewhere in this vast universe! My divine, beautiful, wise, and powerful servant! Heed my call! I wish from the very bottom of my heart! Answer my guidance and appear!" A voice cut through her sleep. Chased away the dreams of the past. Making a demand of her filled with bravado and arrogance.

However even weakened a goddess can hear everything. Beneath the loud demand was a silent desperate prayer. Emitting the arrogant voice was an even more desperate heart. While the voice demanding a servant, the heart begged and prayed for a savior. It was to that heart that the goddess awakened. To that prayer that the savior of many answered.

It was in answer to that heart's call that the goddess Amaterasu returned to the world once more.

* * *

Louise Françoise le Blanc de La Vallière was very desperate right now. Not only did she declare that she could summon a familiar that was better than all others, but this was perhaps her last chance to prove she could indeed cast a spell properly.

With a deep breathe she cast her summon familiar spell, pouring all her willpower into it. Sadly… the spell had the most predictable result. An explosion erupted throwing up a dust cloud and causing many to stumble and fall. However there was something different about this particular explosion. Louise stared into the very heart of the cloud of dirt and debris until she realized what it was.

There was something there. Something that was drawing her forward. As if on auto-pilot the little pinkett walked through the choking cloud as if it wasn't there. Her hand stretched out, not in a searching gesture, but a welcoming one.

The dust settled a her fingers graced something warm and solid. Her eyes drank in the form of her summon. A statue of a wolf whose very posture spoke of great power. Whose eyes promised wisdom beyond measure. Whose appearance was that of unmatched beauty. A statue that according to some part deep down in Louise's heart, could only be divine.

Again she acted without any real thought. Her fingers caressed under the statue's jaw as all else was drowned out. She leaned forward and whispered to the statue, "My name is Louise Françoise le Blanc de La Vallière. Origin of all that is good, and mother to us all… please bless me with your guidance." With that she kissed the statue on its forehead and took a step back.

It was only then that her brain decided to decide to reboot itself. Confusion rolled through her mind like a tidal wave. Doubt tore at her as her classmates whispered behind her. Time seemed to stretch. Seconds felt like hours as confused whispers became familiar jabs and name calls. However before despair could truly take hold of her heart, something happened.

The statue cracked.

It was a loud thunderous sound that was quickly followed by another. Then another. The statue became covered in a spider's web of thin cracks. All of the sudden a second explosion, this one of light, filled the courtyard.

Amidst the curses and flinches of her classmates, the young girl didn't move. She stared transfixed at where the statue stood. In its place, sitting on its haunches, was a creature that was truly all she asked for.

The wolf that sat before her was almost pure white,except for the red marking that patterned its shoulders and chest. As well as the crimson circle on its head with two lines, one that extended down the back of its neck and the other to its nose. At the center of the circle the runes of their contract shined brightly. On each ankle, both shoulders, and the base of the tail misty fur swirled forth. This was a creature that in no way was from the mortal plane. This wolf was no normal wolf.

Louise felt a smile spread upon her lips as she stared into golden eyes. Eyes filled with warmth and wisdom. Her feet guided her forward as fingers glided into soft fur. The being's head tilted ever so slightly as she petted it.

The words from her classmates washed over her once more. Their awed whispers brought a bright smile to her lips as she looked down at her familiar. If the familiar reflected the master then she must be something special.

Her smile got wider as she listened. About how beautiful her pure white wolf was. About how it certainly looked strong. How it certainly was one of the smarter and stronger looking animals. How… wait. No, wait. That sounded all wrong.

The creature before her wasn't pure white. Wasn't a normal animal. Couldn't be. Why were they downplaying this? Were they blind? Her smile became a confused frown. Could they not feel the great power that was emitted in waves from her familiar? The warmth? What was wrong with them? Her fingers stilled their movements as she stiffened. Her familiar gave a soft whine as if asking why she stopped. However she didn't answer.. She couldn't. Her brain just wouldn't register.

By the time her brain rebooted enough to turn around and demand answers… Professor Colbert had already called an end to the class. She could only watch as her classmates made their way back to the castle. All except one.

The blue-haired girl had long ago put away her book. Her emotionless eyes felt like they were looking into Louise's very soul. Observing and picking at it as one would an old puzzle box. Something that looked so deceptively simple, and yet was so very complex. It was rather odd how fitting that comparison felt.

After what felt like an eternity the bluenette turned away and walked off followed by her blue dragon. Leaving behind a very confused pinkett alone with her strangely amused familiar and a mystery.

This place was very like yet unlike her own. There was great power here. Spirits lived and spread their influence in the nearby areas. The great elements flourished and were practiced by young disciples. She could feel the life all around her.

However the people, the land, even the very air felt different. Her domain was high in the sky and yet it felt so distant. Far more so than her weakened state explained. The disciples were varied in both appearance and element. Back in Nippon a teacher would take on a disciple of a similar attunement and train them for years as an apprentice. Sometimes taking on several. However the sheer number of disciples, and she sensed far more than the small group than that just departed, seemed too much for such a system to work.

However the biggest difference was in the elements themselves. In all the disciples, each had power over at least one of the elements. However she only felt the power of four of them. In all the students. All of the teachers. All of the land around her, she felt only one real source and user of the fifth and strongest of the godai, void. That source was in the spirit of the girl whose prayer brought her here. And such a powerful source she was.

Amaterasu felt bad for this girl. To have no proper teacher was a terrible thing. To have such great potential, and no one to help you mold it. No wonder she prayed for guidance so desperately.

However it would be sometime before she could give the girl the guidance she sought. She heard the whispered comments of the young students. They saw what all others with no belief saw. A white wolf, pure and strong. It was a form she was very use to at this point. An image she actually quite adored. However that meant that with so little belief her powers were both weakened, and her true form would not be seen by-

"What are you? You are no wolf. You are not pure white. I don't know what the others are talking about. Are they blind? Can they not feel the power coming off you? The warmth radiating from your being?" the girl said turning toward the weakened goddess with confused frustration dripping from her voice. Her fists were clenched tightly.

From where she sat on her haunches Amaterasu gaped in surprise at her new charge, her mouth opening wide. This girl could see her?

"Of course I can see you. I'm not blind. I have eyes."

The goddess in wolf form blinked at the girl. She could-

"Yes I can understand you. Its obvious what you are saying." The pinkett replied with a twitching brow. "Now stop treating me like a child and answer my question."

The goddess couldn't stop the confused whine from escaping her throat. This was not what she expected. Someone that could not only see her but understand her so easily? The last humans that could see her so clearly at first glance had been that monk… well and Susano had claimed he had seen her from the beginning. Though the only ones that had understood her had been the… wait… maybe… did she…

"What do you mean can I paint? How does that explain anything? And what is a poncle?"


	2. Inked edge

Louise sat down on her bed with a heavy sigh and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her thumb and pointer finger. She had just finished 'listening' to her familiar's story. The story had been long enough to span the walk from the courtyard to her room. If it wasn't for the fact she was seeing proof with her own eyes, she would have thought the tale unbelievable. Then again she was 'listening' to body language and random sounds. Seriously it was like every movement of the tail and slightest position of the head was a sentence in itself. That wasn't even adding in the sounds the wolf actually made.

She sighed again with more than a hint of a groan as she turned to where the strange wolf sat among a bed of flowers that had once been A PILE OF HAY! Seriously how was she suppose to find some other explanation when something like this happened? She stopped rubbing the bridge of her nose as she lay back in her bed.

"Alright, let's see if I got this straight," she started as she shifted on the bed so she was laying on her side and looking at the strange creature she was now bound to. "You are a goddess named Amaterasu from the lands of Nippon. Nippon is not of my world and exists elsewhere, which you can tell simply by how everything feels to you. In Nippon you were revered and saved the world several times over as the goddess of the sun, and the guide of heroes. You have power over each of the elements and over nature itself through the use of painting, and just plain being you. Your current form is the one you usually use to visit your world's mortal realm because it's not too bizarre for them to see a lone wolf or dog walk around. Also anyone one who looks at you will see a white wolf UNLESS they are an animal, spirit, poncle, a believer of the gods, or strong in the spiritual element that BOTH of our people know as the void. Those are the main points right?"

Indeed there was more to the tale. MUCH more. However she really didn't want to think about some of those details right now. Especially as the supposed goddess nodded her head. "Well that doesn't explain how I can see you. Unless the familiar contract made it so I could." Louise mused to herself. Her familiar was not happy with that logic if its bark was any indicator.

"What do you mean no!" She sat up straight and glared at the wolf. "I don't know if you noticed but I'm neither animal nor spirit, I'm NOT short enough to be a poncle, and I don't believe in your gods." Louise glared harder as Amaterasu tilted its head and gave the impression of a smile. "No that does NOT leave one other option. Void is an element lost to us. There is only one man that could use it and he is LONG dead. To even suggest someone else wields the sacred element of the founder is HERESY!"

To say that Louise was surprised when the form before her stiffened and started growling would be an understatement. "What do you mean that can't be true? No one else can use it. No one else has that power! No stop it, it's not just because he was able to figure it out on his own. He was chosen. He was the founder. He-"

The loud shrill bark cut her off as the wrathful form of the goddess in wolf form stood from her bed of flowers and stalked towards the bed. The stare she received reminded her of her mother's glares. The disappointment cut deep into her heart. She could only gape at what she was 'hearing' as she tried not to squirm under the weight of the stare.

The power of the heaven's can not be wielded by only one man? But that was against everything the church taught. Against the teachings on which everything she knew was built upon. True he had started a mere man, but he ascended to be so much more right? There was no way a man with the powers he had could have stayed a mere man right? RIGHT!?

But no, the woman in wolf skin that stood in front of her was insistent. If she could not use the four basic elements than she HAD to be able to use the fifth. It was simple logic.

"How can it be simple? It has to be so much more then that." she tried to explain. But the face of her familiar softened and crushed all her resistance with a simple stare. It was only complicated because others made it so. Simple facts were still simple facts no matter how complicated everyone else tried to make the situation.

"But… I… how will I learn then? Void has been lost to us. There are no known records of any other user, nor is there a record for how to use that element." she weakly said unable to look away from that kind looking face.

A soft smile seemed to grace her companion's muzzle, and she realized just how pointless the question was. She already had a teacher. She summoned her after all.

"But didn't you say that your powers were vastly weakened? I don't mean to be rude but will you be much help?"

That got a low bark and a flick of the ear. 'Well I'm sure a small amount of power doesn't affect knowledge. Wait celestial envoy? Like that Issun fellow you mentioned? But where-"

She was interrupted by a nose poking her in the stomach. He eyes widened in shock and panic. "Oh no. No no no. I don't care if the facts point to that conclusion. I mentioned HERESY right? If I start proclaiming what many would consider a REALLY powerful spirit as a goddess, not only would I likely be put to death when I'm found out, but so would anyone I somehow converted."

A whine and a tilt of the head. "Fine even if we just have to convince people that you ARE a great spirit, you mentioned that celestial envoys used paintings to increase awareness. I haven't touched, let alone owned, a brush in years. I would have to buy one if not several along with all the supplies just for a cha-"

The light that seemed to erupt from the wolf's chest cut off her rant. However as the light died down she didn't SEE anything. That didn't stop her from reaching out with her right hand and let whatever was there fall into her palm. It felt like a tiny stick with a fuzzy end. However it wasn't straight. There were off bumps and a slight curve. It was odd what you could feel even on something this tiny. But that was the problem it was so tiny. It needed to be bigger.

She felt a stir in herself. Like her magic was flowing with out her attempting to do a spell. Her will moving into the tiny object, and to her amazement it started to grow until it revealed itself to be a sword with a sheathed blade that looked to be about as long as her arm. The scabbard was black and the sword's hilt was wrapped in green. What she was sure was the hand guard looked to be a square of thick metal. She slowly drew the blade and saw that it was single edged with a slight curve to it. All in all she had never seen a sword like it before. Not that she had much experience in blades.

However the ODDEST thing about it was at the end of the hilt. Just sitting there seemed to be a brush of some sort. Was she really meant to use this as a brush? The weight would make it difficult. Not to mention excess ink would get everywhere afterward if she took the sword with her. Besides where had it-

A low sound drew her attention back to her familiar. Said familiar was looking at the sword and flicked its ears. Wait if she heard right… that would make the sword… Dekomaru. the sword of the celestial envoy Issun. But… wait… then…

With shaking hands she resheathed the sword and gulped. She only barely noticed what seemed to be a sash that was attached to the sheathe. "Well I'm glad you decided to give me a brush, but I know nothing about wielding a sword. What are you going to teach me that too?" She tried to joke.

Said joke backfired when another light filled the room. What appeared when the light died down made Louise sweat heavily as she backed away with fear.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me! Get ready? How am I supposed to get ready?! I don't CARE if it is your weakest sword you divine mutt! There is no way I'm- AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

* * *

Siesta was having a good day so far. It was a beautiful and warm afternoon, she had finished her chores for now, and she had just settled down to read a little bit under the shade of a tree.

She smiled to herself as she took out a small orange book. It was worn from constant reading. It was one of her favorites. The book had belonged to her great-grandfather, and was apparently part of a set though he had only the one with him. If the rest of the set was anything like the book in her hands, she would do anything to get them. Who wouldn't after reading such a book? An epic adventure with daring rescues, heartfelt romance, a virtuous hero thwarting vile villains, and very… STEAMY action. Thinking of which.

Siesta giggled to herself as she blushed upon reaching one of her favorite scenes in the book. The young warrior had just rescued a poor maid from the clutches of a cruel master. Upon arriving at a safe location, the maid decided to reward the warrior for his kindness with a kiss. The kiss began chaste but soon became more as passion over took the pair. The warrior's strong hands held the maid's slim waist as her own arms wrapped around his neck. Soon one of those strong hands slid up her body in order to-

Her reading was disturbed by a loud shriek followed by a thud. In a panic she looked up from her book to see a young figure with pink hair tumble away from from a white figure of some sort. The girl seemed shaken as she clutched what seemed to be a sword in her hands and stood, glaring at the other figure which Siesta now recognized as a wolf that was pure white from head to tail.

"You… you…" the pinkett seemed to struggle to speak. "You know how high my room is?! We could have died! No, I don't care if you're incapable of taking fall damage! OR that we needed more space! I didn't agree to this! NO! You will put that away! I WILL NOT- AAHHHH!" Siesta could only watch as the young student yelled at the wolf in some kind of one sided conversation. That is until the wolf hefted a sword that was clenched in its teeth and began to swing at… wait what?

The maid rubbed her eyes, and even pinched herself. Yet before her was still the scene of a little girl dodging the sword swings of a wolf. Both seemed very skilled. That being the girl being good at dodging, and the wolf good at wielding a sword. At least that's what she assumed. She only had so much knowledge to go on. However from what she could tell it was a noble, likely Louise the infamous zero from her hair color, and her familiar. The familiar, if she was hearing the girl right, was likely attempting to teach the girl how to defend herself in a way the girl didn't agree with.

Now Siesta is one of the kindest souls you will ever meet. However she couldn't help but find the scene of a desperately dodging noble and a rather amused looking wolf trying to hit said noble a little entertaining. She was even sure that many of the academy staff would pay good gold to see such a thing. Several of the students would probably as well now that she thought about it. Though they would enjoy it more because it was the zero being assaulted by her familiar than anything else.

It wasn't like Louise was cruel or anything. Oh she had a temper, but it was only ever directed to those she felt deserved it. She was never harsh to the servants, at worst she was apathetic. Though she did thank them when they did a service for her. There was very LITTLE reason to wish her ill despite the fact that she was a noble. But she was such an easy target…

Thinking of target. Siesta could only watch as Louisse flinched in the middle of a dodge and tumbled to the ground. The girl looked up with a mixture of fright and anger as the wolf brought its sword around for another swing. The strike was sure to hit the girl and she couldn't move away in time. Siesta was on the verge of screaming in horror when the little pinkett drew her sword and knocked the strike away desperately. This continued for several moments until Louise's sword was knocked away from her and the wolf's blade was at her throat.

"Of course I lose," the young mage said with an angry pout. "I told you I have no experience, and just swinging a sword at me is NOT going to teach me swordsmanship. Instinct? How am I going to instinctively know how to use a sword?" The girl continued to argue with the wolf somehow, until she just stopped. She stared up in disbelief and… was that fear? What was the little noble afraid of?

Then master and familiar both turned to look at her. The young maid gulped as she watched the girl stand up, straighten out her school uniform, and try to pat the dirt off it. Then master and familiar walked towards her. The pinkett's face was calm, though she did send a glare at the wolf, as she approached. However despite remembering that Louise was not one to randomly treat the staff badly… she was still known for her temper, and Siesta was certainly worried that that temper would target her.

The worry only abated slightly as the student sheathed her blade as she stepped in front of Siesta, and the unarmed wolf sat down staring at her intently. Its tail wagged back and forth. It was kinda… wait something seemed off about all this. Didn't…

"She says you smell of home." The statement shocked the maid out of her thoughts.

"What?"

"My familiar, she believes you smell like her home."

Wait, could the wolf talk? No, shoe would have heard something. But how…

"Where are you from maid?" the young noble demanded starting to sound impatient. However before Siesta could start to panic the white wolf look up at its (her?) master. This started a tense stare down that ended with the pinkett sighing "Will you please tell us where you are from?"

The maid could only gape at in awe at the sudden shift. Did a noble just ask politely? The novelty and awe only increased as the young girl in front of her blushed and looked to the side in obvious embarrassment and maybe a tinge of humiliation.

"Tarbes. I'm from the village of Tarbes."

That seemed to bring a smile to the young noble's lips as she turned to look down at the wolf once more. "See? Told you there was no way she was from Nippon." thee wolf gave a small bark in response, "Then your nose is broken."

"Wait did you say Nippon?" that got Louise to look back at the maid who gulped. The noble nodded with a frown and a questioning look. "My great-grandfather claimed to be from a land called Nippon and told my grandfather and father stories and legends from there. They were eventually passed on to me and my siblings."

She watched as Louise's face widened in surprise then the young noble threw her hands up in a show of anger. "You have GOT to be kidding me." Her gaze snapped downward as the wolf next to her gave what sounded eerily like a chuckle.

Siesta didn't know if she should be worried or amused. There was good reason to be either at this point. "It's true." She decided to insist and looked at the wolf again, the animal's form reminding her of some of her favorite stories. "In fact your familiar looks a lot like how Shiranui was suppose to look."

THAT got the girl's attention, as well as the wolf's. At least it appeared to the get the wolf's attention too, but it was just a wolf right? Not THAT intelligent… right?

"Who?"

"Shiranui. He was a pure white wolf who was said to have protected Nippon from great evil, especially from the terrible demon Orochi. He was a true savior of the land according to legend, and his stories were some of my favorites."

"He?" Louise asked with that amused smile returning again. This girl's moods were very easy to shift weren't they?

"Yes?"

Louise smiled down at her familiar who seemed to look uncomfortable. That was certainly odd. Why would the gender of a long dead, if he even existed at all, wolf make the current one uncomfortable? Now that she thought about., REALLY thought about it… How was the master talking to the familiar? They seemed to be having full conversations even when not a word was spoken. Not that a wolf could speak, but it was still odd. What was really happening?

She was once again dragged out of her thoughts by the sound of grass rustling. She turned her head slightly to see the young noble now sitting down on her knees with the sheathed blade of her sword resting on her shoulder while she held the hilt in an odd way. The strange tassel was held just above a stack of papers that lay before her. Wait… paper? From where?

"Care to tell me a story about Shiranui?" the girl asked with a kind smile on her face. A smile that made Siesta feel a bit warm in the face. She knew Louise wasn't the worst noble out there, but for her to suddenly be so friendly felt weird yet flattering. However despite how strange the situation was, she couldn't help but WANT to spread around her favorite tales. She use to tell them to her siblings after when she was old enough to look after them herself. This could be just like that. Maybe.

So she told the tale of Shiranui and Orochi. Of him protecting Kamiki alongside the mighty warrior Nagi. A story of mystery, battle, and romance. The strangest thing was, the story just seemed to flow so easily. Easier than it had in years. Details she hadn't even known she had forgotten came to the surface to flesh out the tale even further. The story seemed far more complex and detailed than she remembered, but it felt so natural that she didn't think about it.

The entire time Louise listened quietly. The only sounds coming from her were the sound of brush on paper and the occasional noise from her moving a sheet off the stack. She didn't seem to react, but it also didn't seem to be needed. It was like she KNEW the tale was being appreciated and enjoyed. It was an odd feeling, but a pleasant one.

However all things must come to an end. This held true for this moment as well as the tale ended on a rather bittersweet note. Shiranui's death after the long battle with Orochi. A heroic end for a heroic animal. With the final word spoken the young noble laid down her sword and took the small stack of completed drawing and handed them over with a smile for Siesta to view them. What she saw took her breath away.

Each painting wa a different scene from her story. Each depiction held beautiful colors, and each matched her descriptions almost perfectly. They were wonderful, and she felt a part of her heart soar upon looking at them. If she hadn't just finished telling the story, she was sure she would have thought these to be pictures of real people and real events.

"Thank you for the story. In exchange you can keep those." That shocked SIesta into looking up from the pictures. There weren't many. Maybe at most 8. But she was sure that anyone else would have put a hefty price for each of them if they had been done professionally.

However before she could protest, the young noble raised a hand to forestall her. "Please you told me a story that was close to you. It is only right you receive the pictures to go with them. Besides I have no use for such things. You can keep them, sell them, or give them away. It doesn't matter to me. Just the experience of drawing again is enough of rme. It has been so long since I last had the desire to pick up a brush. So for that I thank you again"

Siesta was shocked. This was nothing like how she heard Louise was, or matched up with what she saw on the handful of occasions she had seen the girl. She was so much friendlier. Maybe there was more to her than anyone gave her credit?

"Thank you but it still seems a bit much." Siesta tried to counter, but it seemed to be useless as the noble started to stand again.

"Not at all. Just promise me to tell me more such stories in the future, or let me know if someone else might have an interesting story themselves. Alright?" Siesta could only nod as Louise smiled brightly at her, "Good, also I think I'll call my own familiar by that name. as well. Shiranui. It has a great sound to it. A worthy name for a wolf like mine. Don't you agree?" Again Siesta could only nod. Her throat suddenly felt very dry. "Then I will leave you to your reading. I hope you enjoy those pictures and that I will hear another wonderful story from you soon." With that Louise turned and began to walk away. It was only then that Siesta found her voice again.

"I look forward to it as well my lady." That caused the young noble to stop and look at the maid. "Please, you can call me Louise in private." Then it was like a detail finally made itself known to her. "How rude of me, I never asked, what is your name?"

"It's Siesta."

"Siesta, very well I will remember that. Have a pleasant day." With that the noble turned and began walking away once more. And this time the maid just watched her go. It really was odd, yet in a good way. maybe nobles weren't all bad.

Wait… did that wolf always have a black tip on her tail?


	3. Revelations

Kirche waited just down the hall from her rival's door. Behind her was Flame, her salamander familiar. Her reason for being there was simple. To tease the pink haired girl and put a little more fire into the girl's heart. She was after all so very fun to tease. And that wolf was quite beautiful in its own right.

She had nothing against the girl she called Zero, aside from all the explosions that ruined her clothes and hair. Seriously it was good that the girl didn't back down and always tried, but she REALLY needed to learn to stop trying to do magic demonstrations.

However it would seem that despite her latest explosion Louise actually got her desired effect. Though it wasn't everything she claimed it would be, it was an impressive creature.

Kirche smiled broadly even as her own familiar rumbled behind her. It was probably just a little tired. It was a little while after the start of breakfast after all. It was around now that the smaller girl would start to awaken. And since the redhead had let the pinkett have a whole day where she could get to know and bask in the beauty of her familiar, Kirche planned to do some friendly teasing so as to remind her that there was always better. Which would likely cause the girl to argue and flair up in that cute little manner of hers. She giggled even as her familiar gave another rumble

However before she could turn around to pet her familiar and try to wake it up a bit more, the door down from her opened, and the girl she was waiting for walked out looking more than a little disgruntled. It was probably from the early hour. Perfect.

The Buxom student started to walk forward and lifted her arm in a wave. "Louise, good morning." She said in a cheerful way that was perfectly measured to be a bit obnoxious.

However the reaction she received was not what she expected.

The smaller girl puffed up as she turned around much like Kirche expected. However the salamander once more rumbled which caught the other girl's attention. After staring at the red lizard for a moment then looking down at her own wolf before looking back up at Kircher's face.

"Kirche, I'm tired and hungry. Our FAMILIARS are hungry. And you want to waste time bragging in the hallway, when you could easily do the same over a hot meal, while our familiars are able to relax and eat in the courtyard? Then again what else could one expect from a Von Zerbst than such conceit and shortsightedness?" the little Valliere said before turning away and starting to walk off.

Kirche was completely caught off guard. However she couldn't just let the other girl walk away. Especially after a statement like that. "Wait, how do you know Flame is hungry?" she called out causing Louise to stop and look back at her over her shoulder and stare at the buxom student as if studying her.

"Seriously Kirche? It's in the tone of his rumble and the posture of his stance. Is the only thing you know about him the species and rarity?" the girl asked sounding actually a bit startled. "We were supposed to have spent some time getting to know our familiars by now. Getting accustomed to them. Did you honestly just decide to skate on by like you ALWAYS do? With the familiar that suppose to be under your care?"

Kirche said nothing in reply. It was mostly out of shock for the conviction behind those words than any truth they contained. She hadn't COMPLETELY ignored the salamander. She just figured she could take her time to understand the creature. It was to be her lifelong partner after all. And it was a fire element like her so…

Louise seemed to take her silence as her answer. "Come on Flame lets go set you up with some food along side Shiranui. After all it looks like all your master's nutrients really did go to her chest." Kirche was again taken aback. There was more than the usual amount of venom in those words. None of the begrudging respect one gave to their rival or mortal enemy. She was even more shocked when Flame ACTUALLY walked by her to follow the pinkette.

"Your welcome." the girl said in answer to a low hiss from the red lizard.

It took a couple of minutes for Kirche's brain to restart enough for her to chase after them. She had been completely outdone by the zero. Humiliated. And she may have lost a lot of points in the other girl's eyes. Seeing how they were bitter enemies… she didn't know why that thought hurt as much as it did.

* * *

Louise leaned back in her chair with a contented sigh. A cup of tea and a saucer held in her hands as the noonday sun bathed her in life giving warmth. It was a beautiful day to have tea in the courtyard, as she was sure her fellow students would agree. She brought the cup to her lips, taking a deep breathe of the aromatic steam before taking a small sip. This was just what she needed after the excitement of yesterday. If only that was all it had been.

With a far less contented sigh the pinkette felt her mind go back over the previous day. What started with the strangest summoning she had ever heard of just got weirder with every minute. It said something about her day that the fact that she summoned a goddess from another world was the TAMEST thing of note about it. She took another sip of her tea, letting the warmth of it fill her body and act as an anchor for her mind. She was going to need it.

She was a scion of Valiere. A daughter of a powerful family of mages. The lineages of both her parents were filled with great figures. Her own mother was considered the strongest wind mage of the country, if not history. Each was a loyal follower of the church of the founder. And here she was, envoy for a goddess of a faith that didn't exist here. She now had the responsibility to spread the name of her FAMILIAR around. A name that was suppose to have power. And in exchange she would learn how to use her own.

She huffed into her tea as her eyes searched out for the troublesome she-wolf. She wasn't hard to find. After all there was only one wolf in the courtyard. Let alone a wolf escorting a maid while effortlessly balancing a tray of cakes on its back. She wasn't quite sure how the supposed goddess was pulling that off, but it certainly looked impressive. Not to mention handy. The maid certainly seemed to appreciate it.

She sighed again, though this time it was with a small smile creeping onto her lips. It hadn't taken long for Shiranui, it was easier to think of her with that name at least for now, to notice the over-burdened maid, and seek out to assist her. With her blessing of course. She WAS the master of this arrangement, despite circumstances. Though she was very much sure, based off of what she had heard from the caretakers after breakfast and her own observations, that the creature was helping just as much for the possibility of a sweet reward as she was out of the goodness of her heart. The woman in wolf's skin was quite the glutton apparently.

The smiles faded away again as she thought back on the circumstances for all this. After all it would appear she had inherited more than just a sword from her predecessor. She now had a duty. A purpose in life. A purpose that came with instincts on how to fulfill them. To some extent at least. Instincts that, to her great annoyance, only seemed to trigger for specific reasons. Has she found out when the maid… when Siesta had told her that fairytale.

She wasn't sure what it had been about it that had sparked her creative impulses. One minute she was getting petty revenge against her familiar. The next she felt this great need to draw. Not to mention her behavior. She was thankful to the founder that no one else had seen how she had acted. The mockery that would have caused. She didn't want to think about it. And yet, that hadn't stopped her at the time. At the time all she had thought about was how she needed to be nice to her… her muse of the moment. Yeah that had been what she had thought of the girl at the time. A muse. There had just been something about her and the story she had to tell. Even now she felt a kind of respect for the maid. She didn't see the other girl as a equal of course. That would be absurd. No, it wasn't like that. It was… it was hard to explain. She just knew that she had to treat the girl well, and if she did then she would be rewarded in turn with the return of that spark she had felt.

However that infuriated the young mage. That she needed a commoner and their fairytales to feel that spark. She had tried to recapture it herself just last night. Thought of one of the tales about the founder himself, grabbed some paper, and sat down to draw. And yet… and yet, despite it being scripture, despite it being RIGHT, she couldn't draw anything. Even when she recited the stories out loud it felt… wrong somehow. No wrong wasn't the right word. Hollow. It had felt hollow. The stories of the founder she had remembered didn't carry the same warmth as Siesta's fairytale. Then again according to Shiranui it wasn't a fairytale. It had really happened. Which only made it even more frustrating. What had Siesta's tale had that the story of the founder didn't? Was it because it talked of her familiar in a roundabout way? Was that it?

With a small growl she gulped down the rest of her tea. She set the cup on the saucer and the saucer on the table. She tried to do so calmly, but the slight clinking of the porcelain was a testament of her failure. This was getting her nothing but more frustration. If only there was some way to work it off.

"LIAR!"

Louise looked up at the sudden shout at a large crowd that had formed while she was lost in her thoughts. Walking away from that crowd was none other than Montermercy along with a first year girl. Both looked betrayed and angry. That could only mean one thing.

"You mongrel! How dare you harm the hearts of such pure maidens!"

Yup there was Guiche. Well ask, and you shall receive. She couldn't help but let a smile twitch at the corner of her mouth before she schooled her face. It was time to pull her familiar out of the fire, and burn off some stress.

* * *

Amaterasu frowned to herself. There were suppose to be limits to how idiotic people could be. Was this Guiche really so conceited that he honestly could not see a flaw in how he acted? Even Susano realized his mistakes and shortcomings. She let a growl emanate from her throat at the accusation. This fool needed to be taught some humility.

A comforting hand was placed upon her head, and the smell of home filled her nose. "Please sir, I don't think you can blame Shiranui for this. She was only trying to help out." Siesta, such a sweet child. Definitely someone her 'master' needed to get to know better. Give her someone to relate to.

"Are you going to take responsibility than?" Guiche replied with a sneer.

"What? But I-"

"It is obvious that you were jealous of what Monmon and I had. You wanted to break us apart, so you caused this."

"WHAT!? No. I di-"

"Silence, you guilt is plain as day. For such you shall be punished." Guiche was now smiling like he won some great prize.

The sun goddess leaned back and pressed herself to the ground in preparation for defending the kind girl beside her. A growl came from her throat as she focused her full attention on the whelp before her. He would harm the girl over her dead body, and she had PLENTY of food in her astral pouches.

"The only punishment that needs to happen has already been done." a voice called out. All eyes turned to the speaker in time to see the petite pinkette walk through the crowd. Her face were blank as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I would appreciate it if you ended this farce now."

"Zero. This is none of your business."

Her master looked across the crowd. Taking in the details. Then their eyes met and weakened goddess gave a small nod. She was slightly amused when she saw the miniscule smirk reach the girl's lips.

"Well seeing how that is MY familiar you were yelling at. Not to mention I was the one that sent her to help that maid. So that means it IS my business. You going to throw some of that blame my way now?"

It warmed Amaterasu's heart to see that grin vanish and be replaced with a frown. It really did. It was the frown of a fool realizing their folly. Though the way his eyes went from Louise to herself and back again had her worried. The return of the smile more so. What was he planning now?

"Well than there is only one way to settle this then. I declare a duel is in order." he decreed grandly.

Louise sighed, rested her forehead against the tip of her fingers on one hand, and closed her eyes. "Guiche, you know that duels between nobles are forbidden."

"Yes, but that is no noble that is it?" Guiche replied with a dramatic point. A point that lead directly towards the goddess in disguise. That caused a great stir among the children watching. A murmur rippled through the collected youths.

The young user of Ku opened her eyes and just stared at the blonde. Then those pink eyes met her own and they shared a look. He must really be desperate to be declared innocent. It was… kinda sad really. The worst part was that he didn't seem to realize what he was doing wrong.

"You want to challenge… an animal to a duel?" the pinkette asked in mild amazement. "An animal, that while intelligent, wouldn't know of the concept of a duel, and couldn't accept such a challenge on its own?"

They could see the moment when the knowledge that he made a huge mistake dawned on him. However they could equally see that he wasn't about to back down. "Yes, unless you have no faith in your familiar that is." The idiot had the audacity to smirk at that. Actually smirk like he was the one in the right.

Her master approached her and ran a hand along her back. This had the consequence of having her hand brush against Siesta's since the other girl had yet to retrieve her own during this exchange. The little squeak and light tightening in grip was amusing.

"Oh I have faith in Shiranui. It's in the nature of the duel that I don't have faith in. That is unless you are proposing a match between BOTH of our familiars?"

The blonde almost physically recoiled at that. Clearly he had not expected that. In fact if his paling face was any indication, that was something he REALLY didn't want. "What do you mean?"

"My wolf versus your mole. Isn't that what YOU meant? After all there is no honor in a mage dueling a wolf is there? So you obviously have faith in your mole defeating my wolf. Don't you?"

The wolf goddess snickered to herself as the blonde floundered for a bit. His turnign red with embarressment as his mouth couldn't seem to decide what it wanted to say. Then he huffed before he turned right around and started to storm off with a mumbled "I don't have time for this." Her little apprentice had done well. A statement she made sure to make clear as she looked up at the girl as the crowd dispersed. Which earned her a return smile and an ear scratch.

They stood there like that. Just watching as the other students either wandered back to their tables, or headed into the academy itself. It was a companionable silence. One where not a word needed to be spoken for everything was understood.

"Thank you my ly lady." Siesta said , breaking the silence and taking away her hand in order to curtsey. "You didn't need to do that, and you have my thanks that you did. I must get back to work however."

"Then Shiranui and I shall help you." Louise replied. Siesta reacted with shock and opened her mouth to replied only for the younger girl to hold up her hand and continue, "Everything may have worked out, but Shiranui was still the cause of all the trouble. As her master and a noble I have to take responsibility, and I will not allow Guiche or any of his friends to try something while I am gone. So I will accompany you for at least a little bit." The goddess watched with silent amusement as the maid did a land stuck fish impression before nodding.

"Besides," the pinkette continued, "If I'm pretty sure the glutton will want a sweet reward after this, and if I'm not there to pull her away she will puppy eye her way to eating all the cakes. And we can't have that can we?" Amaterasu huffed at that even as it brought a smile Seista's face. She wouldn't eat ALL the cakes. Just most of them. How dare she imply otherwise.

The wolf glared up at her 'master' who just smiled teasingly back before turning the smile back onto the poor maid. "Now then let's get this over with, shall we?"

"Alright my lady."

"Please you may call me Louise. At least when it's just the three of us."

That once again took the poor dark haired girl by surprise and brought a light blush to her cheeks. "Isn't… isn't that a bit too familiar?"

Louise waved her off "You already shared something personal with me, and Shiranui has taken a liking to you. I don't see a problem with this small concession. Do you?"

Siesta shook her head and Amaterasu nodded to herself. It seemed she didn't have much to worry about when it came to the girl. She was going to do just fine. As the two girls went to collect dishes from the abandoned tables, the goddess took the time to observe her young summoner.

She certainly did remind her of a younger Issun. Brash, loud, and a bit arrogant. However underneath all the bluster was a soul that wanted others to see it for its own accomplishments. Someone desperate to be seen and heard, and who truly cared for others. Just like that young poncle, Louise had to be guided and shaped into her potential, so that she herself could see it as well. See what she is capable of. See that she didn't need to struggle alone. That by bringing peace and happiness to others, she could achieve it herself.

Though she first needed to let go of those hollow stories that she desperately tried to draw last night. She needed her own stories. Something to embrace with passion and love. Oh well, she was bound to figure that out on her own. Eventually. Hopefully.

As plates started to be placed upon the tray on her back she shook herself out of her revery. Those thoughts were for the future. Now was the time for the present. A present that would soon contain cake. And that was what was important. Even if she had to share some of it.


End file.
